An aspiring nurse, a football star, a single mother and a father of two killed in New Orleans attack

By The Related Press

An 18-year-old woman dreaming of changing into a nurse, a single mom, a father of two and a former Princeton soccer star suffered deadly accidents when the motive force of a white pickup truck sped down Bourbon Road, filled with vacation revelers on Jan. 1. 

Officers haven’t but launched the names of the 15 folks killed within the New Orleans New 12 months’s Day truck assault, however their households and pals have began sharing their tales. New Orleans Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna mentioned in an announcement late Jan. 1 that they may launch the names of the lifeless as soon as autopsies are full they usually’ve talked with the following of kin. About 30 folks have been injured.

Nikyra Dedeaux

Zion Parsons of Gulfport, Mississippi, had been celebrating New 12 months’s Eve at his first night time on Bourbon Road when a automobile appeared and plowed into his pal, 18-year-old Nikyra Dedeaux, who he mentioned had dreamed of changing into a nurse.

“A truck hit the nook and comes barreling by means of throwing folks like in a film scene, throwing folks into the air,” Parsons, 18, informed The Related Press. “It hit her and flung her like no less than 30 ft and I used to be simply fortunate to be alive.”

As the group scattered within the chaos he ran by means of a grotesque aftermath of bleeding and maimed victims, listening to gunshots and explosive sounds.

“Our bodies, our bodies all up and down the road, all people screaming and hollering” Parsons mentioned. “Folks crying on the ground, like mind matter everywhere in the floor. It was simply insane, just like the closest factor to a conflict zone that I’ve ever seen.”

Dedeaux was a accountable daughter — shorter than all her siblings however the one who helped handle everybody, Parsons mentioned. Dedeaux had a job at a hospital and was set to start out school and start working in the direction of her objective of changing into a registered nurse.

“She had her mindset — she didn’t have the whole lot discovered however she had the plan laid down,” Parsons mentioned.

Reggie Hunter

A 37-year-old father of two from Baton Rouge, Reggie Hunter had simply left work and headed to have fun New 12 months’s with a cousin when the assault occurred, his first cousin Shirell Jackson informed Nola.com.

Hunter died and his cousin was injured, Jackson mentioned.

Tiger Bech

A former highschool and school soccer participant from Louisiana was amongst those that died, in response to an schooling official.

Tiger Bech, 27, died late the morning of Jan. 1 at a New Orleans hospital, in response to native media shops citing Kim Broussard, the athletic director at St. Thomas Extra Catholic Excessive Faculty in Lafayette. Bech attended the highschool, the place he performed broad receiver, quarterback, punt returner and defensive again, NOLA.com reported.

Bech performed soccer at Princeton College earlier than graduating in 2021. Most just lately he was working as an funding dealer at a New York brokerage agency.

Princeton soccer coach Bob Surace mentioned Jan. 1 that he had been texting with Bech’s father, sharing reminiscences of the participant, who was a faculty kick returner and receiver from 2017 to 2019. He earned All-Ivy League honors as a returner.

“He is likely to be the primary Tiger to ever play for us, and that nickname type of described him as a competitor,” Surace informed ESPN. The college’s nickname is the Tigers. “He was someone that someway, like in the important thing moments, simply excelled and was stuffed with vitality, energetic.”

Bech has been working at Seaport World, the place firm spokesperson Lisa Lieberman couldn’t verify his loss of life. However she informed The Related Press that “he was extraordinarily effectively regarded by all people who knew him.”

Bech’s youthful brother, Jack, is a prime broad receiver at Texas Christian College.

In a response to a KLFY-TV report posted on X about Tiger Bech’s loss of life, a put up from an account for a Jack Bech on the social media website mentioned: “Love you at all times brother ! You impressed me on a regular basis now you get to be with me in each second. I obtained this household T, don’t fear. That is for us.”

Nicole Perez

Nicole Perez was a single mom to a 4-year-old son working laborious to make life higher for her household when she was killed, in response to her employer.

Perez, who was in her late 20s, was just lately promoted to supervisor at Kimmy’s Deli in Metairie, Louisiana, and “was actually enthusiastic about it,” deli proprietor Kimberly Usher mentioned in a telephone interview with AP. Usher confirmed Perez’s loss of life by means of her sister, who additionally works for her.

Usher mentioned Perez would stroll within the morning to the deli, which opened at breakfast time, and would ask a lot of questions in regards to the enterprise aspect of the operations. She additionally was permitted to carry her son, Melo, to work, the place throughout breaks she taught him fundamental studying abilities.

“She was a very good mother,” mentioned Usher, who began a GoFundMe account to cowl Perez’s burial prices and to assist with bills for her son that “he might want to transition into a brand new dwelling scenario,” the donation request says.

Jack Brook in New Orleans, Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Martha Bellisle in Seattle contributed to this report.